Extensive tree damage along the roadside this year is impossible not to notice. Each affected tree has enormous, eye-popping holes up and down its trunk, with a mountain of sawdust at the base. Kay Charter, of Saving Birds Through Habitat, confirms our friend Kathie Snedeker’s supposition that pileated woodpeckers are the cause. Kay says they’re going after insects (her first suspicion is carpenter ants) and that the tree undoubtedly had “heart rot.” (We’re checking out the ant theory with the county extension service, but obviously some delicious insect inhabits these trees in great number.) The dying tree feeds the insects, the insects feed the woodpeckers, and the wheel keeps turning. This tree is not far from Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern on M-22, where revolutionary changes are afoot. Changes? At the Happy Hour? Those who don’t like the introduction of television (!) to the bar aren’t at all squeamish about the smoke-free policy that will go into effect April 1 (no fooling), and, turning the tables, the smokers probably don’t mind the TV, but everyone’s going to have to give a little on this round. It is, after all, the Happy Hour.
If you haven’t already done it, check out Joe Borri’s blog (it's in my list) and see if you can fit your life into a six-word synopsis. Mine, I think, pretty much covers it all: poetry, philosophy and bookselling.
8 comments:
Nice photo. I, too, would have guessed a pileated woodpecker as the source of the holes. They're quite interesting birds, and I enjoy seeing them occasionally in our yard in Woodstock, NY.
Living in a state where all restaurants and bars are non-smoking, I can only salute the Happy Hour for moving in that direction. I wish more places in Michigan would.
Dramatic image there, P.J. Mama Nature recycles everything. A 3-foot high railroad tie retaining wall was sawdust before it dawned on us that the pretty pileated woodpeckers weren't pounding away for the pure fun of it. (We kept trying to shoo them away from what turned out to be a banquet of carpenter ants.)
Holy cow! Or should I say "hole-y bird"??? Someone's been busy on that tree!
I saw your 6-word memoir at Joe Borri's yesterday. That was a pretty fun writing experiment!
Pileated it is, last winter one of our mqassive 10' stumps on Overlook suffered the same fate. We had anicipated taking that stump out, but when we discovered the joy that it brought to our feathered friends we decided that it was a marvelous addition to our landscape. We thought that we would see our giant insect hunter visiting the stump again this winter, but he has not returned (to our knowledge).
Z
I'll have more information on this subject in the coming week, fate willing. Am in Illinois today, where the sun is shining and tulips pushing up through the NEW STOW HERE (too!).
Could you guess that I meant NEW SNOW yesterday? We had sunshine yesterday, however, in place of the predicted clouds and rain, and today--also predicted to be dismal--is starting off sunny and bright. NO NEW SNOW!
As for the woodpeckers, Kay's sources say carpenter ants are very likely, even as far north as Leelanau Township, but if anyone wants to take an insect sample from one of the trees on M-22 and get back to me, I'll post the results.
That woodpecker's bill is a sort of weapon of mass destruction.
At least woodpeckers aren't destroying anything out of malice, spite or hatred.
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